Help kids serve others. Send home letters to parents requesting
a donation of a Halloween treat, such as individually wrapped
lollipops, chewing gum, or candy bars. Sort the treats into
different containers and place them on a table.

Have each child select either an orange or white lunch bag and
decorate it with black and orange markers. The children can then
fill the decorated bags with treats from the table. Fold and staple
the top of each bag.

A few days before Halloween, take the children to deliver the
treat bags to a nursing home, a women’s shelter, or a homeless
shelter.

Rather than avoiding Halloween, transform it with these
ideas:
Have a party where people dress up like famous people in
literature or the Bible.
Hold a memorial service for those Christians who’ve died this
year.
Go Halloween caroling with the good news message.
Have a party with a Christian illusionist doing gospel
magic.
Hold a candlelight service on Halloween night to pray for the
neighborhood children’s safety.
Make Halloween banners promoting Christ’s victory over
death.
Give away angel food cakes.
Greet one another with “Happy Halloween! Jesus has
triumphed!”
Take photos of trick-or-treaters, get their addresses, and mail
the photos to them.
Carve pumpkin heads and put a candle inside as a reminder to let
our lights shine (Matthew 5:16).
Make a Holy Spirit “comforter” just in time for winter. Have kids
pick out material for this patchwork quilt.
Think of four special things to do in the four weeks before
Halloween; for example, do something for God, for unchurched
friends, for churched friends, and for family members. Create an
Advent-type program to honor these four relationships at this time
of year.

Mark von Ehrenkrook
Puyallup, Washington

12 PARTY IDEAS

Country Picnic — Eat on the ground, auction boxed dinners, and
invite your “aunts.”
Circus, Circus — Have a “let’s pretend” circus complete with
three rings, circus animals, and acts.
Pumpkin Patch Party — Meet in a pumpkin patch or create a patch
in your church. Carve pumpkins, hold a seed-spitting contest, and
eat pumpkin pie.
Costume Ball — Have a sports night where different balls are used
for activities, such as a football throw or a three-person
basketball game. Come dressed in costumes, of course.
Armor of God Party — Make or purchase armored costumes. Discuss
spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12-13).
Living Library — Have a parade with costumed characters from
favorite books. Create rooms based on themes from books such as Tom
Sawyer, Jurassic Park, or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Pie Fair — Have pie judging, pie eating, pie throwing, a pie
raffle, and a pie walk.
Cider Squeeze — With this apple theme, have apple pies, caramel
apples, and apple games such as bobbing for apples and apple
rolling.
Potlatch — Use this American Indian custom of showering gifts.
Shower a poor family with gifts or make blankets for a rescue
mission. Have a walk-a-thon to raise money to purchase
comforters.
Fiesta! — Have a pinata, tacos, chips, serapes, luminaries, and
Mexican music.
The Old West — Have pony rides, a barbecue, a dunk tank, a jail
for non-Western wearers, and a hoedown (that’s western for
dance).
Noah’s Ark — Have kids come in animal costumes. Your pastor can
be Noah. Serve animal crackers. Talk about Christians’
responsibility to care for the animals God has created.

Children’s Ministry Resources: Curriculum

Hands-on Bible CurriculumHands-On Bible Curriculum is a quarterly, age-graded curriculum for toddlers through 6th graders. The two-year scope & sequence guides kids through the Bible, as they learn and understand Biblical truths and develop a deeper, thriving relationship with Jesus.

Buzz Sunday school
Buzz Sunday school is designed to work best in churches that divide kids into age-graded classrooms with 10 or less kids per class. Each grade level (preschool through 6th) has a unique theme every quarter that teaches a mix of classic and uncommon Bible stories that kids haven't heard before–which impacts their faith and changes their lives.

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Children's Ministry Magazine is the MOST read magazine for children's ministry. It's packed with practical, authentic ministry ideas to help you become even better at what you do best—lead kids to Jesus. You'll get sound advice and encouragement from today's children's ministry experts, plus hundreds of ideas that'll have kids begging to come back! Available in print and in digital!